Coronavirus: Plymouth Schools Postpone All International Trips

PLYMOUTH, MA — Plymouth Public Schools will reschedule all six international field trips in the district previously set for April amid coronavirus concerns. Schools were back open on Monday after being closed Friday for a thorough sanitizing after a high school student who traveled to Milan, Italy in an exchange program reported flu-like symptoms last week.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Gary Maestas released a video statement saying that all students who were on that trip have successfully passed the 14-day waiting period for disease observation and that there are no known cases of someone within the school community having coronavirus. He said the district remains committed to global studies programs, but at this time it has been determined that the trips scheduled for next month be postponed.

"Due to the concerns regarding the COVID-19 virus, and its effects on the global community, we are approaching these opportunities with an added degree of caution," said Maestas, who added that all families of those set to go on one of the international trips have been notified.

Maestas said no one among the families in Milan that hosted the Plymouth high school students has tested positive for coronavirus.

"I understand there is a lot of fear and anxiety regarding COVID-19 within our community," Maestas said. "We are working to provide you regular updates and information about the situation."

Several schools in Massachusetts have closed temporarily out of an abundance of caution and concern for the new coronavirus.

Plymouth Public Schools were canceled Friday while a professional cleaning company was brought in to disinfect all 12 schools in the district and buses, with all weekend events postponed. A Plymouth Public Schools Visual and Performing Arts musical set for Plymouth South Middle School was among the events that will be rescheduled.

(More on the coronavirus can be found in this fact sheet from the CDC.)

The superintendent said Thursday that sanitizing efforts have been increased at all Plymouth schools and that Plymouth Schools will stay in touch with the Plymouth Board of Health, local and state agencies for any updates. On Sunday, he said "resources and time will be provide to students and staff to wash their hands thoroughly throughout the day, and we are prioritizing regular cleaning of high-traffic areas."

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 it and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

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